Matt Christensen is a technology expert specializing in web/software/app development. He has been creating digital products since 2003 when he graduated from Bradley University with a bachelors in computer science. Matt currently works for a
...

Matt Christensen is a technology expert specializing in web/software/app development. He has been creating digital products since 2003 when he graduated from Bradley University with a bachelors in computer science. Matt currently works for a marketing department for a major mid-west company working on websites, facebook apps, and other marketing initiatives. He also enjoys helping local businesses with their technology and marketing needs. Matt will be writing about useful websites, cool apps, and general tech tips.

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By Matt Christensen

Jan. 27, 2013
12:01 a.m.

Christmas saw an explosion of tech gadgets enter the Christensen house. Some were better than others.

First up was the Tabeo. An Android based children's tablet for my son. It's Toy R Us's exclusive tablet.

I fell for the hype.

Do not waste your money on this tablet. Pretty much anything would be better than this device. For starters the hardware. Right out of the box you need to go to their website and download an update in order to get a full charge. Not easy for the none tech savy. Along with this the graphics are minimal and the touch screen is sporadic.

On top of the hardware issues the software is limited. It requires you to use their proprietary app store. The app store is supposed to be geared for children and reviewed. However, many of the apps were clearly designed for other smaller devices (ie iphone) because of their small size on the screen.

Next up was the Nook Tablet. This one was for my older daughter.

100% better and cheaper. Should have gotten two of these instead.

The nook is backed by Barnes & Noble. The app store is robust and includes many titles like Netflix, HuluPlus, and Pandora. There are also free children's books which my daughter really enjoys since she's just starting to read.

The interface is fairly simple, easy to understand, and straight forward. I don't like it as much as the ipad, but it's pretty intuitive. It's simple enough my 5 year old has no trouble.

Hopefully none of you bought the Tabeo, but if you did I feel your pain. If you're in the market for a cheaper tablet even for a young one I recommend the Nook. If not the Nook at least avoid the made for kids tablets. Even my 2 year old has no trouble navigating and using a full blown tablet. They market parental controls, but you can get apps for that. Also, you should be around when they are using it, so additional software shouldn't be necessary.

Ideally, I think the ipad is the best around, but with a price tag of $100-$150, you can't beat a Nook or Kindle Fire.